WCPSS Students Compete In 2004 Battle Of The Books
March 30, 2004 - Nearly 400 students from 23 Wake County Public School System middle schools competed in the Wake County Battle of the Books Saturday (March 27) at Southeast Raleigh High.
The team from Carnage Middle School finished first for eighth grade. Ligon Middle School was first for seventh grade and Durant Road Middle was first for sixth grade.
The champion Carnage eighth-grade team included Mary Burroughs, Sonja Escamilla, Kary Koesy, Evan Kochuk, April Nonato and Alice Yen. Linda Armstrong was the team's advisor and Linda Cearbaugh is the school's media specialist.
The champion Ligon seventh grade team included Michael Chen, Amanda Hawkins, Eli Hornstein, Saranya Karthikeyan, Anna Kumar and Emily Myers. Sylvia Gorham was the team's advisor. Kevin Phipps and Kimberly Shelton are the school's media specialists.
The champion Durant Road sixth grade team included Lindsey Brunson, Sam Carter, James Goertz, Shay Kimzey and Lise Ross. Doug Sturdivant was the team's advisor. Judy Bright, Kyra Davis and Kristen Ziller are the school's media specialists.
The teams of students competed to answer questions from the North Carolina School Library Media Association list of books, which included Cheaper by the Dozen, The Golden Compass and Surviving the Applewhites.
In the eighth grade, first runner up was Martin Middle. Second runner up was Ligon. Lufkin was third. In the seventh grade, first runner up was East Millbrook Middle. Second runner up was Daniels. Carnage was third. In the sixth grade, first runner up was Lufkin Road Middle. Second runner up was Heritage. Leesville Road was third.
The Battle of the Books program seeks to encourage reading by all students at the middle school level. Students, regardless of ability, are exposed to quality literature representing a variety of literary styles and viewpoints by prominent authors in the area of young adult literature. The game format creates interest and excitement in reading. Through the fun and excitement of the competition, students improve reading skills, mature in their choices of reading materials, and acquire a broader knowledge base.
Teams that win the Wake County Battle of the Books go on to compete in regional and state competitions. Karyn Gloden, WCPSS Middle School English Language Arts Senior Administrator, served as the WCPSS Battle of the Books Project Manager.